The present invention relates generally to methods, systems and apparatus for interacting with computers by means of printed matter and sensing devices. More particularly, the invention relates to delivery of a brochure, utilizing such methods, systems and apparatus.
The invention has been developed primarily to allow a large number of distributed users to interact with networked information via printed matter and to obtain interactive printed matter on demand via high-speed networked color printers. Although the invention will largely be described herein with reference to this use, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to use in this field.
Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention simultaneously with the present application:
09/575,197, 09/575,195, 09/575,159
09/575,132, 09/575,123,
09/575,148, 09/575,130, 09/575,165,
09/575,153, 09/575,118, 09/575,131,
09/575,116, 09/575,144, 09/575,139,
09/575,186, 6,681,045, 6,728,000,
09/575,145, 09/575,192,
09/575,181,
09/575,193, 09/575,156, 09/575,183,
09/575,160, 09/575,150, 09/575,169,
6,644,642, 6,502,614,
6,622,999, 6,669,385, 6,549,935,
09/575,187,
6,727,996, 6,591,884,
6,439,706, 09/575,196, 09/575,198,
6,290,349, 6,428,155, 09/575,146,
09/575,174, 09/575,163,
6,737,591, 09/575,154, 09/575,129,
09/575,124, 09/575,188, 09/575,189,
09/575,162, 09/575,172, 09/575,170,
09/575,171, 09/575,161,
6,428,133, 6,526,658,
6,315,399, 6,338,548, 6,540,319,
6,328,431, 6,328,425, 09/575,127,
6,383,833, 6,464,332,
6,390,591, 09/575,152, 6,328,417,
6,409,323, 6,281,912, 6,604,810,
6,318,920, 6,488,422, 09/575,108,
09/575,109
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference.
Paper is widely used to display and record information. Printed information is easier to read than information displayed on a computer screen. Hand-drawing and handwriting afford greater richness of expression than input via a computer keyboard and mouse. Moreover, paper doesn""t run on batteries, can be read in bright light, more robustly accepts coffee spills, and is portable and disposable.
Online publication has many advantages over traditional paper-based publication. From a consumer""s point of view, information is available on demand, information can be navigated via hypertext links, searched and automatically personalized.
From the publisher""s point of view, the costs of printing and physical distribution are eliminated, and the publication becomes more attractive to the advertisers who pay for it because it can be targeted to specific demographics and linked to product sites.
Online publication also has disadvantages. Computer screens are inferior to paper. At the same quality as a magazine page, an SVGA computer screen displays only about a fifth as much information. Both CRTs and LCDs have brightness and contrast problems, particularly when ambient light is strong, while ink on paper, being reflective rather than emissive, is both bright and sharp in ambient light.
It is an object of the invention to combine advantages of printed and online publications to facilitate delivery of a brochure.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a method of delivering a brochure, including:
formatting information of the brochure in a computer system;
the information including at least one user interactive element which enables a user to indicate a request for further information relating to contents of the brochure by interacting with the element using a sensing device which is adapted to transmit data indicating the request to the computer system; and
printing the information at a printer networked with the computer system so as to produce the brochure.
Preferably, the brochure includes coded data indicative of an identity of the brochure and of the at least one interactive element and wherein the data includes receiving, in the computer system, indicating data from the sensing device regarding the identity of the brochure and of a position of the sensing device relative to the brochure in order to identify the brochure and determine when the sensing device is used to interact with the element. The method may further include receiving, in the computer system, movement data regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the brochure, with the sensing device preferably sensing device sensing its movement relative to the brochure using the coded data, and identifying the response in the computer system from the movement being at least partially within a zone associated with the interactive element.
Preferably, the sensing device includes an identification code specific to a particular user and the method includes monitoring use of the sensing device in the computer system.
The method may further include printing the brochure on demand and preferably printing the formatted information on a surface of a surface-defining structure and, at the same time, printing the coded data on the surface with the coded data preferably being substantially invisible in the visible spectrum.
Preferably, the method includes retaining a retrievable record of the printed brochure, the brochure being retrievable using the identity data as contained in the coded data.
In the event the newpaper or magazine is printed on multiple pages, the method may also include binding the pages.
In another aspect, there is provided a system for delivering a brochure, including:
a computer system with a server adapted to provide and format information of a brochure;
a printer for printing the information so as to produce the brochure, with at least one interactive element to enable a user to indicate a further request for information relating to content of the brochure; and
a sensing device used to indicate the request and adapted to transmit request data to the computer system.
The computer system is preferably adapted to receive movement data regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the brochure, and interpret said movement of the sensing device as it relates to said at least one element. More preferably, the sensing device senses its own movement relative to the brochure using the coded data.
The sensing device may include an identification code specific to a particular user and the computer system is arranged to monitor the use of the sensing device.
Preferably the sensing device includes a marking nib.
Preferably, the brochure is printed on a surface of a surface-defining structure and wherein the printer prints the brochure on demand and the printer is arranged to print the coded data at the same time as printing the brochure on a surface-defining structure, with the coded data preferably being substantially invisible in the visible spectrum.
The system preferably includes a database for keeping a retrievable record of each brochure generated, each brochure being retrievable by using its identity, as included in its coded data.
Preferably, the printer includes a binding means for binding the brochure in the event the brochure includes a plurality of pages.